DRAWING CHILDREN CLOSER TO NATURE ANNIKA FUNKE Annika Funke is a self-taught artist who now lives and paints in Namibia.
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he launched the Kayamoja ArtConnects Trust, which aims to create the opportunity for impoverished Namibian children to see, meet and learn about wildlife and wildlife conservation, as
more artists and art institutions to the project so that it can be expanded to include more children around Namibia. Her goal is fast becoming a reality as world-renowned wildlife artists have joined her initiative, donating their art to raise funds for the Kayamoja ArtConnects Trust.
well as art.
“Right now I’m busy putting a toolkit together for teachers in Namibia, so that children from all over the country can follow wildlife art topics in the same way we do on our trips. We learn about the wild dog, for example, and then look at how to paint the wild dog. Then children from all over the country can participate in the newcomers competition in our Kayamoja Wildlife Art Exhibition 2018.
“I started by working with the Hope Village Orphanage. We’d take the children on trips to a wildlife sanctuary, where they were given a chance to see and learn about wildlife and wildlife conservation. Drawing and painting encourages the children to see the true beauty of animals; art makes you take a closer look,” says Annika. Born in Germany, Annika’s goal in life was always to come to Africa, not only for creative expression but also for her soul. “I studied African science just to be able to come to Africa one day. I used to work as a journalist and I would spend all my time in the Cologne Zoo. I came to Africa so that I could be with the animals, be where the animals live.
“I believe conservation begins with education. This is where I can make a change. It is about awakening a passion and empathy, stimulating awareness in the younger generations. I believe we need to inspire love for wildlife because what we learn to love, we learn to respect.”
“Being an artist is about expressing who you are and so I felt that I needed to have the real experience myself, in order to tell a story that is real. My personal story connects me to nature, that bond is beautiful, and that is what ArtConnects is recreating: personal stories, personal experiences. “These amazing children that I have taught, they didn’t know the difference between a zebra and a giraffe. The first time they saw a wildebeest, they said, ‘Wow, perfect, perfect.’ They were so excited they kept saying, ‘Oh man, this is amazing.’ What are they going to do when they see elephants! “These trips are a positive memory, and I want to make them as beautiful as possible for the children. It is important to create the opportunity for great encounters and real memories with animals at a young age, which will grow into a real appreciation for what the animals truly are: an amazing gift and enrichment to this planet, and not our property.” Until recently, Annika financed the project with income from sales of her original artwork, but she has plans to connect
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